1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to artificial fishing lures and more particularly to a novel lure which will allow the hook to separate from the body of the lure when a fish strikes and is caught on the hook.
There are a wide variety of artificial fishing lures used by anglers. Generally artificial lures have a body of some type which may be of various shapes and is often brightly colored and configured to simulate the appearance of a fish. A hook is attached to the body and various other accessories may be associated with the lure such as streamers, spoons and the like to attract fish and provide the desired motion through the water.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a lure design which enables the lure body and hook to separate when a fish is caught to eliminate the weight and drag of the lure body at the hook making it more difficult for the fish to free itself. Various patents can be found in the prior art which show fishing lures or baits having designs which allow the body of the lure to separate from the hook.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,775,840 shows a lure in which the forward end of the hook shank is formed as a converging triangular-shaped element. The triangular-shaped element engages grooves in a conical opening at the rear of the weight or body. When a fish is hooked, the fish exerts a pull on the line to separate the weight and the hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,036,954 shows a wire frame which is retained within the body or weight of the lure. The hook attaches at the juncture of the two legs of the wire frame. The frame is fully collapsed within the body or weight and serves to facilitate attachment of the hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,112,901 discloses a fishing lure of the type in which the body becomes separated from the hook as the fish is caught. When a fish is on the line, the resulting action will cause the forwardly extending pectoral fin to pivot out of the way and the body of the lure will move forward and separate from the hook leaving the hook in the mouth of the fish.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,225,676 shows a fishing lure having a hook and leader associated with the lure with a catch and trip so that the lure and hook may be disengaged when the fish is caught. The hook and leader are secured to the body by a clamping device in the form of a locking post.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,528,861 also relates to a line that is described by the patentee as a free-hook fishing lure. A retaining clip member is molded in a recess provided within the body of the lure and has a U-shaped clip. When the fish tends to thrash about, the hook will become separated from the lure body so as to not assist the fish in becoming dislodged from the hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,434,204 shows an artificial bait which after the fish strikes the hook, allows the body to separate from the hook element and run up the line. The hook is frictionally engaged at a tapering plate carried by a tapering flanged plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,236,353 shows a fishing lure, particularly a plug, designed to relieve the plug of tension during operation of playing a hooked fish. The underside of the plug is provided with a pair of longitudinally spaced-apart spring clips which will yield under application of pressure to form a releasing connection between the plug and the hooks.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,775,840 shows a fishing lure which is provided with a sliding, weighted line stabilizer which is locked to the fish hook and rotating lure assembly when casting. The weighted line stabilizer is free to slide along the leader or the line allows the fish when hooked to carry the lure assembly away.
While the above-described and other fishing lures of the general type do permit separation of the hook from the lure body or weight, many prior art designs are either complex in design or are unreliable in operation. Accordingly, there exists a need in the field of fishing tackle for an improved lure of the type which will release the lure body or weight when a fish is hooked to allow the fish to carry the hook away from the body of the lure to eliminate the resistance of the lure body to the movement of the fish and to make it more difficult for the fish to free itself from the hook.
The purpose of a device of this type is to provide an artificial fish bait in which the lure body, after the fish strikes the hook, will separate from the hook element and run a considerable distance up the line and position itself at a location where its weight leverage and resistance to free movement in the water will not assist the fish in its attempts to tear free or release the hook element from the mouth of the fish.